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Thrush?????

Hi! My name is Brandi and I am new to this forum. I have a question and would appreciate any input...

My son, Evan, is four weeks old today. YEAH! I have been breastfeeding him exclusively since birth. My daughter, who is four, was breastfed until she was three.

When Evan latches on, I have this extreme pain in my nipple. It hapens on both sides. It hurts really bad and after a while, it will stop as he nurses. Sometimes when I am not nursing, my nipples seem to ache some. I never had this problem with my daughter and I know he is latched on correctly. It hurts! Also, sometimes when he takes my nipple, he spits it out and makes a face like it tastes bad. He will even smack his lips and make a really sour face. (Hurts My feelings! )

I looked in his mouth and he has some white residue on his tongue - I thought it was milk. It may be, but I'm not sure. I also tried to look in his mouth, but really couldn't tell if he had any white patches.

What do you think is wrong and how can I fix this problem? Any advice would be helpful!!

Re: Thrush?????

Brandi,
Here is some information on Thrush. You may want to look these over and discuss this further with your HCP as some of the symptoms you have described could be considered Thrush. The white patches in the baby's mouth are often a good clue to diagnosing this! Most moms find that the sooner they begin treatment, the sooner they receive relief! Good luck to you! Please let us know if you need any other information.

Re: Thrush?????

Hi there... I too have a son named Evan but he is 8, I love that name and rarely hear it.

I have recently been battleing a yeast/Thrush issue and I am not entirely sure it is gone. Have your symptoms gotten better? What treatment have you used? I have been told the Gentian Violet is the only thing that KILLS the yeast rather than slow it down. I am on the concluding end of nursing my 4th (12mo) and expecting (8weeks) with my 5th so I am wanting this to be gone before I start nursing my next baby. I never had this with my other kids... well at least I never got it when they got Thrush. I was completely ignorant as to how awful yeast can be. I thought I was going to die, I thought nursing pain was unheard of at 11months... guess not. Let me know if you found anthing out that was helpful and or effective.

Re: Thrush?????

Hi! I am currently taking Diflucan - I have a prescription for six tablets - one a day and my son has been prescribed Nystatin (SP?) liquid - 2 mL four times a day. I was also told I could rub clotrimazole on my nipples in between feedings. I have noticed some improvement, but I think it is going to be hard to get rid of! Good luck to you and congrats on your pregnancy!

Oh, and the OB said I should let my nipples "air out" as much as possible.

Re: Thrush?????

Brandi,
Would you mind letting us know how the 6-day course of Diflucan goes? I've been told that anything less than a 2 week course is ineffective against ductal thrush. In fact, when I took Diflucan for ductal thrush I had to take it for 4 weeks. 400 mg as a first dose, followed by 100 mg twice daily. Also, just so you are aware, the Nystatin suspension that your son is on is in a sugar base which yeast thrives on. So it may not be that effective for him. You might also want to try some acidophilus powder for both of you

Re: Thrush?????

Oh Boy, Brandi, I hope this worked for you. The protocol that Carol mentioned is pretty widely accepted, but not always widely prescribed. It is pretty extensive, to make sure that the yeast is really gone. I typically see the time period set for taking it at least 14 days, and then another 7 days after symptoms are gone. Many moms have found that printing up the information and presenting to their doctor helps them see that a longer dosage might be helpful.

Re: Thrush?????

A lactation consultant at a nursing support group I was in recommended the gentian violet for what we thought was yeast. Turns out it wasn't, so I cannot tell you if it worked. However, I CAN tell you that both your nipples and your child's mouth, lips and surrounding face will be deep, deep purple if you try this. You use a q-tip or something to apply it to your nipples and then let the baby eat. You can also put some on the baby's cheeks and tongue if you like. My poor little boy was very very very purple. I took pictures! I had to laugh, and cry at the same time. You can rub a little of it off, but I didn't have much luck I think it lasted 3 or 4 days. After day one, it was much fainter! I personally would use it again if it meant avoiding a perscription at such a young age. I bought it for $10 at an independent pharmacy. There is about an ounce or so in the bottle. I can't imagine ever running out because you use so little at a time.